New Dublin surgery centre aims to cut dermatology waiting lists

A new purpose-built surgical centre focused on skin cancer and advanced dermatologic surgery is due to open in Dublin this summer, with its founders saying it could help ease pressure on some of the longest waiting lists in the Irish health service.

Surgical Institute Dublin, which is expected to open in June 2026, will specialise in ambulatory, or day-case, surgical care, with an initial focus on skin cancer treatment, reconstructive dermatologic surgery and
Mohs micrographic surgery.

The facility has been in development for six years and is being positioned as a specialist centre for skin cancer and complex dermatologic surgery. It will bring together consultant dermatologists, plastic surgeons, Mohs surgeons, oculoplastic specialists, oncologists and pathologists in a single purpose-built setting.

Its founders, Prof Nicola Ralph and Prof Caitriona Ryan, say the centre is intended to address several long-standing pressures in Irish dermatology services, including long waiting times, limited theatre capacity, and what they describe as a fragmented pathway for skin cancer diagnosis and treatment.

At the centre of the model is a “See and Treat” approach, under which suitable patients can be assessed, diagnosed, and, where clinically appropriate, treated on the same day. Their aim is to reduce delays,
limit the number of hospital visits and avoid the disruption caused by patients moving between multiple services.

“The primary motivation was the growing demand for timely, high-quality skin cancer care, coupled with increasing pressure on existing hospital services,” Prof Ralph said.

“Over recent years, it has become clear that traditional models are struggling to keep pace with demand, particularly in dermatology. This presented an opportunity to rethink how care is delivered, moving towards a more efficient, patient-centred model that prioritises speed, integration and quality.”

The project was first explored in 2020 and has since progressed through several years of planning and development. In early 2024, the founders were joined by Conor Murphy, a healthcare entrepreneur and former investment banker, who now serves as chief executive of Surgical Institute Dublin.

The centre is expected to be supported by more than 20 consultant specialists across dermatology, plastic surgery, Mohs surgery, oncology, pathology and oculoplastic surgery, with further expansion planned.

The initial emphasis will be on lower-risk, high-volume procedures that can be safely managed in an outpatient setting. More complex cases may be added over time, subject to what was described as safe ambulatory care parameters.

The centre is opening at a time when dermatology remains one of the most pressurised specialities in the HSE. Prof Ralph said the facility is intended to complement the public system’s efforts to reduce waiting
lists.

Dermatology has been highlighted as an area of significant demand within the HSE, with long waiting times continuing to place pressure on services.

Although the centre is expected to primarily serve privately insured and self-pay patients, Prof Ralph said it could also provide additional capacity for the public system.

“Surgical Institute Dublin will have the capacity to perform up to 12,000 minor surgical procedures per year for patients currently on the HSE dermatology waiting list,” she said.

“This additional capacity would complement the HSE’s surgical hub strategy in Dublin by enabling private practising consultants to undertake HSE waiting list work within a dedicated private facility, thereby expanding available surgical capacity.”

The new surgical centre has been described by the founders as “an important and scalable part of the overall response” to waiting-list pressures, rather than a standalone solution.

Prof Ralph said workforce planning had been a central consideration during development, noting that many of the consultants involved already work in both public and private settings, while recruitment efforts focus on expanding the workforce and supporting professional development in a dedicated surgical environment.

While skin surgery is already performed in a range of hospitals and clinics, the founders argue that Surgical Institute Dublin is distinct for its singular focus and integrated, multidisciplinary design.

Unlike general hospitals, where theatre access is shared across specialities and often subject to competing demands, the new centre will be dedicated entirely to skin cancer and advanced dermatologic surgery. Patients, they say, will be able to move through a more streamlined pathway – from assessment to diagnosis to treatment – within a single specialist setting, and in some cases within a single visit.

For Prof Ralph and Prof Ryan, the opening represents both the culmination of a long-running project and the start of a test of whether a more specialised outpatient model can deliver measurable gains in
access and throughput.

“The opening of the Surgical Institute Dublin is both a proud and significant milestone,” Prof Ralph said. “What began as a concept many years ago has evolved through careful planning, collaboration, and a
shared commitment to improving patient care.”

“There is a strong sense of achievement in bringing the project to fruition, but equally a recognition of the responsibility that comes with delivering a new model of surgical care. The focus now is on ensuring that the centre operates safely, efficiently and to the highest clinical standards from day one.”

If successful, the centre may offer a useful test case for whether highly specialised outpatient facilities can relieve pressure in one of the most overburdened parts of the health system.